After fans took to Twitter and Facebook to vent anger about Bay’s proposals to change the turtles to “lovable aliens” rather than mutants who gain anthropomorphic powers after encountering mysterious radioactive ooze, voice actor Robbie Rist accused the Transformers director of “sodomising” the combative reptiles.

“You probably don’t know me but I did some voice work on the first set of movies that you are starting to talk about sodomising,” wrote Rist in an open letter to Bay. “I know believing in mutated talking turtles is kinda silly to begin with but am I supposed to be led to believe there are ninjas from another planet? The rape of our childhood memories continues …”

Rist’s comments followed Bay’s revelation that the new turtles would arrive from another planet. He said: “These turtles are from an alien race, and they’re going to be tough, edgy, funny, and completely lovable.”